


Apartment 52 - Five & Diego Hargreeves

by Absoduality



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Blood and Injury, Brothers, Coffee, Family Issues, Family Reunions, Fluff and Angst, Identity Issues, Living Together, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Post-Canon, Pseudo-Incest, Slow Romance, Superpowers, Teen Angst, The Umbrella Academy (TV) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Absoduality/pseuds/Absoduality
Summary: This story takes place after the team returns to April 2019 (end of Season 2).The Hargreeves need new homes and find a way to restore the future they remember. In the meantime Five and Diego will have to live together.But as time passes, Five is facing the consequences of having his older mind inside a younger brain. His body, thoughts and emotions start to feel wrong.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy & Diego Hargreeves
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Apartamento 52 - Cinco y Diego Hargreeves](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27102364) by [Absoduality](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Absoduality/pseuds/Absoduality)



> Hi! This is my first work here. 
> 
> I'm not a native english speaker, but I hope I haven't made too many grammar mistakes. Sorry in advance if so!

This story takes place during the following days and weeks to the team’s return to April 2019, after learning that The Umbrella Academy is no longer their home, now renamed as The Sparrow Academy. Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Five and Vanya face an unknown future where they don’t belong.

There was a lot to investigate. If they wanted to get their lives back on track they should learn how their pass through the ‘60s affected the future, who were their substitutes (apart from an unfriendly Ben, who was still alive), and find a way to recover everything they lost. And without a clue about the Comission.

As usual, Five would be one step ahead of their problems taking care of their newly-acquired homeless status. A few spatial jumps around the city, infiltrations in other peoples’ houses, cheking mailboxes… and before the dinner’s hour he already got the keys from three empty apartments.

None of the apartments were a great thing, but they were close to each other and not far from The Sparrow Academy, which was convenient if they wanted to watch their steps.

On his way to the burger where they agreed to meet, Five was toying with the keyrings thinking about how he should distribute them. Three pairs were the optimal solution, since at least every apartment had two rooms. Allison and Vanya needed their space, and that left him with three possible housemates, among which his mind wandered briefly.

“Let’s see… With which of those idiots would living together be less insufferable?” 

He immediately came up with 47 reasons to discard his noisy and eccentric brother Klaus.

“I rather live under a bridge. Which reduces the question to… ¿Luther or Diego? Empty heads, recent trauma...”

Despite having a calmer attitude, big man Luther had become quite a crybaby and Five was getting distressed just thinking about dealing with his brother’s melancholy, lamenting about Allison.

On the other side, Diego just had a brief but intense romance filled with treachery with Lila, who was now out of the picture. However, he seemed less likely to want to talk about his hardship, and knowing him he would spend less time at home.

“We have a winner!”

Five caught the last keyring after throwing it in the air. He space-jumped through the remaining distance to reach the grubby burger, materializing before the shocked brothers and sisters while he threw the keys over the table around which they were gathered.

“That easy?” Asked Allison in disbelief, arms folded to keep her warm under her mantle. They all really looked like abandoned puppies right now, Five thought.

“What would you do without me?” He answered with a cynical smile.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

And that was how he started living with Number Two in the apartment 52 of the block. This one they shared was the smallest, but he didn't care as long as he could enjoy some quiet time.

The first mornings Five established his routine. He would get up early, pick up (or steal, depending on his mood) a few newspapers, and return home where he had a coffee while reading them carefully.

Doing that he tried to compose on his mind an idea of the current state of the world, the differences with the one they left behind, and any kind of clue that could catch his attention. He spent hours studying them thoughtfully.

Just as he thought, Diego spent little time at home. At nights he went out to “fight crime” with his usual enthusiasm, while also keeping an eye out for any information that might be useful to them. The next morning he would get up late, get some exercise, and fix lunch for both of them, before Five went out to investigate the city and watch the Sparrow Academy steps or look for any trace about the Commission.

During the night of the third day, Five got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. When he was getting ready to drink some water and return to his room, he noticed that Diego's doorknob was covered in traces of blood. He arched an eyebrow and his sleepiness evaporated.

“Diego?” The boy moved closer to the door of the room, but got no response. “I'm going in. You better be presentable.”

He opened the door concerned, and the first impression he got didn't help reassure him. With enough light coming in from the street lamps, he could see Diego lying face down on the bed, and his sheets partially stained with blood.

“For God’s sake, Diego! What the…?” He walked in with his hands spread out at his sides in astonishment and his eyes wide open, but he was somewhat relieved when his brother slightly raised his head to let out an incomprehensible groan.

Five dropped to his knee on the mattress and pulled the older one over. Diego had removed his combat vest, and the undershirt he was still wearing was bloody, with various signs of stab wounds.

“I'm… I'm fine. It’s nothing.” He mumbled sleepily. “I just flaked out before I had time to...”

Five snorted visibly annoyed and interrupted him by lifting his shirt without hesitation, checking the couple injuries he had on his abdomen and chest, as well as in one arm. They did not appear to be very deep or bleed excessively.

“You will survive. “ He concluded, in a dry but not worry-free tone. “You can't get back here and make this mess without even cleaning your wounds first. You are almost torn to shreds...”

The boy got up quickly and left the room on his way to the bathroom in search of some wound dressing and disinfectant, and he could hear Diego raise his voice, now wakeful.

“This is nothing. You should have seen how I left one of those thugs…” He said boasting with a laugh, and quickly changed his tone to a more serious one. “Though he's alive, uh? Or so I think...”

Five came back into the room, turned on the light, and began tending the young man's wounds carefully. “You're going to get killed at this rate. You should really find another hobby.”

“And what do you want me to do?” Diego gritted his teeth holding back the pain when Five put the gauze over one of his wounds. “Sit here all day reading newspapers with you, visiting libraries and museums with Vanya and Allison, or whatever Luther and Klaus are doing?”

”At least we try to find out what happened ... and whatever Luther and Klaus are doing.”

”Hey, I have my ears on at night. You would be surprised how much you can find out,” he continued, shrugging his healthy shoulder. “although the truth is that the outlook is very similar to our 2019. A bit chaotic.”

“I'm trying to say is...” Five shifted his gaze to Diego's eyes. “...be more careful, please.”

“Oh… I love when you care about me.” The older one pursed his lips in a condescending mockery. “Ouch!” And he flinched again when Five pressed on one of his wounds, this time totally on purpose.

\-----------------------------------------------

The next morning Diego got up earlier than usual. He seemed to be perfectly fine, almost as if nothing had happened the night before.

"Take a glass, don't be an animal." Five scolded him when in front of the fridge he took a large sip of milk directly from the carton.

Five was still going through the newspapers with his cup of coffee by his side when Diego began his exercises in the middle of the living room. The boy tried to stay focused, but every now and then he found himself distracted looking over the papers, watching him.

It was obvious that Number Two trained his physique very seriously. Much more than his brain, at least, and in part Five envied him. It was true that he never was especially strong since his complexion was more agile than muscular. His brother Luther, for example, was the opposite. But then Diego was the perfect balance between both. He began to think about how his pubescent body was still frustratingly weak, making him self-conscious.

He was distracted several times by the older guy’s grunts of effort, staring at his bulging biceps as he lifted weights, paying covert attention even to the beads of sweat that slided down them. He almost forgot to breathe.

"What's wrong with me...?" He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and return the attention to the pages.

Diego could be flawed in many ways, but his reflexes were not slow. He realized that the youngest looked at him from time to time.

“Why don't you join me? You could use a little training.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Five lowered the newspaper with a fake smile, so ironic it could hurt, before picking it up again. "Can you make less noise? You sound like an agonizing rhino. It deconcentrates me.”

“You don't know how an agonizing rhino sounds like.” He smiled at him out of the corner of his eye, as he continued flexing.

“That’s true. But I'm pretty sure the poor animal would agonize if it had to listen you.”

Diego laughed louder, but did not give up trying to convince him. “Come on, did you forget that I worked in a gym? I know what I’m doing, I can train you.”

"You cleaned the floor of a gym." Five put down the newspaper again, making enough emphasis on the first words.

“And who do you think cleans the floor of this house?” He replied energetically, even though it had nothing to do with the conversation.

Five looked around. He hadn't thought about it, but the house was decently neat. He nodded to himself in a gesture of surprise and satisfaction at having made a good choice of partner.

On the other hand, Diego was somewhat right. His teenage body was not completely untrained, because after all, for him it was only a couple of weeks since the hard training that his father subjected them to. He also had all his knowledge acquired in his 58 years of consciousness on how to fight and kill effectively.

But he was still in the body of a brat, and if he continued to grow he was going to need to keep undergoing a harder training.

“Okay. I'll listen to you for once.” He sighed, not very convinced.

“Great! That's my little brother.” He celebrated with an enthusiasm that made Five roll his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, after his usual study hours, they both went for a run through the nearby streets. Five hated seeing himself dressed in sportswear, although what bothered him the most was having to act as if Diego was — and he certainly was — stronger than him.

After running for almost an hour they stopped near their building. Five had kept up with his brother, but in the end he was unable to contain his gasps, while he was shocked to see how fresh Diego was.

"Hey, you did very well! But let's go upstairs, this has just begun."

"So much fun…" Five climbed the steps after him, exhausted.

Once back at the apartment, Diego instructed the kid to perform multiple exercises. Push-ups, weights ...

“This is ... it's horrible, Diego ...!” He complained, with the little strength he had left while trying to do sit-ups.

“Come on! Twenty-six .. twenty-seven .. twenty-eight!” The older brother continued, doing the same exercise at his side in a much more energetic way.

\----------------------------------------------------

During the next day, Five could barely get out of bed. Diego would walk around the house asking him how he was from time to time.

“What kind of psychopath tortures a child like this?!”

But in return he received all kinds of threats and insults.

“I swear I'll finish you off as soon as I can move!!”

Probably some of the scariest he ever heard. And Diego laughed at absolutely each and every of them.

"I'll extract your teeth out one by one..." He said clenching his jaw as he threw his pillow and Diego hid behind the door, amused.

A day later, however, he was better and his murderous rage had waned. Diego convinced him to follow a gentler routine, and the rest of the week went on smoothly. Despite what had happened, Number Two was taking it seriously, and Five, who was afraid of being teased by him, began to feel more confident.

Diego also seemed to spend more time at home those days. He would get up earlier to train together, and he didn't come that late at night. Five didn't know if he was doing it to hang out with him in the mornings, or if he was just tired of playing the masked hero. But he did not dislike it.

\-------------------------------------------------------

“So? How are you getting along? ” Allison asked, stirring her tea.

They all were in the girls' apartment. They were sitting around his kitchen table, which unlike the boys' floor, was not open.

"I… I've seen horrible things…" Luther said, almost shaking as he held his mug with both hands. Everyone immediately looked at Klaus, who smiled stupidly and nodded, almost proud of being a source of trauma to his brother.

“At least you haven't killed each other. Yet.” Said Vanya, looking at Five and Diego with her calm smile.

“Hm?” The comment caught Five distracted, staring at his coffee.

“We are asking if you are doing well together. Diego is not exactly easy to put up with.” Allison clarified, nodding to the aforementioned.

“You speak as if the little 58-year-old demon was the spirit of cordiality…" Klaus punctuated, drawing his words in a jocular tone. For his part, Diego limited himself to observing the boy with a smile, curious to hear his reply.

“We are doing well.” He answered simply, shrugging his shoulders and taking a sip of his coffee. There was a brief silence while the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

“So you haven't had any problems living together?” Vanya continued, analyzing. “I mean... you are both used to being lone wolves and it is normal that you have certain crazes that are difficult to ... bear.”

“Nope. We are pretty good. Except we still have no idea what we've done to the space-time continuum, of course.”

"To be fair, if it was up to him, he would have killed me a few times already.” His partner pointed out.

"If it's only been a couple of times, it's still surprising," Vanya said smiling before taking a sip from her cup.

“Guys .. if you are doing good, could I move in with you? Or better yet, you could take Klaus.” Luther asked desperately.

“Not even joking.” Denied Five. “The house is full, and I need my peace of mind.” 

"I'll stop by to help you control Klaus, darling…" Allison took pity on Number One, rubbing his arm without hiding her smile.

“And how are the ladies doing? Girls party all day? You should invite me.” Said Klaus as he got up to poke through the cabinets in the girls' kitchen.

“Very good, actually. But you know, it's hard… To be without Claire, without Raymond…” Allison looked down thoughtfully.

“We have to find a way to get them back. Just like Sussie and Harlan.” Vanya also answered.

“And you, Diego? Don't you miss that Lila?" Luther asked, and Five glanced at them, listening.

"Lila?" Number Two snorted in response. "No. She tried to kill us. She lied to me. It was all theater… I hope she decides to help us, but as far as I’m concerned I don't know who she really is.”

Five sighed... almost relieved?

"Maybe it's better that way, brother." Luther continued. "It didn't seem like a very healthy relationship."

"Hey, I don't think anyone here can talk about healthy relationships." Klaus said, then noticing Five. "Not counting those with non-animated beings, of course..."

"Don't mess with Dolores." Five threatened him. “She fulfilled her role. Thanks to her I was able to stay alive. "

"Well," Vanya mused. "So I guess in a way... we all owe our lives to Dolores." The brothers nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with her.

“To Dolores." Diego raised his cup, and the others soon followed suit.

"To Dolores." Toasted the rest.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Back at home and the next morning, Five was just beginning to inspect the newspapers, sipping his coffee, when he glanced at Diego coming out of the bathroom. He finally had cut his hair a little, and also trimmed his beard. “New look?” 

“Yeah. You like it?” He said as he went into the kitchen to prepare his breakfast. “I thought about not removing my beard.”

“You did well. With that baby face no one would take you seriously.”

“Really? Are YOU talking about having a baby face?" He said, returning the look with a smile.

Still glancing at him, Five went over the comments that had come up with his brothers. Indeed, Diego's presence did not bother him as he might have imagined. Being together in that small apartment was something that made him feel at peace.

The truth is that it was even impossible for him to sleep at night until the moment he heard the door and knew that he had returned home. Five was not calm while Diego was outside with his recklessness.

But at the same time, he couldn't understand his own feelings. He was distracted, frustrated. Being with him brought him some satisfaction, yes, but it also made him feel… small. Very small. Almost as if his pubescent body took over and he couldn't do anything rational to prevent it. He hated that, just as he hated admitting that sometimes he couldn't take his eyes off Number Two's arms, chest or abs.

Five tried to analyze himself in the following days. It was true that his consciousness had persisted for 58 years. He remembered the data of all that life quite well. But his current body instead ...

The problem was not only in his weak physique. It was also in his stupid immature head and his stupid hormones. As much as he remembered, as much as he thought he had experienced in his life, his brain just hadn't made those connections yet. And it became more apparent as he spent more time getting used to his young body.

He no longer identified himself as that 58-year-old man. Neither like that kid he saw in the mirror after taking the wrong leap into the future. He was a mess. And then there was Diego.

"The stupid, reckless, hot and charming Diego…" He thought, gritting his teeth with a certain rage.

Meanwhile, for the supposed adult of the house, the conversation with the rest of his siblings had not gone unnoticed either. He too found himself smiling as he glanced at the boy sipping his coffee, lost in the text before him. Number Five had its quirks, but far from what others believed, it wasn't that difficult to carry.

Diego knew he shouldn't bother him while he was focused. That was one of the most important rules. Also making sure there was always coffee, peanut butter, and marshmallows. But the rest of the time he was just a bit grumpy, which was a lot of fun for him.

Despite this, it seemed to him that in the last days Five had been somewhat quieter and calmer. He thought that it was simply due to that daily harmony they had achieved.

Until a certain night when he returned home.


	3. Chapter 3

It was not too late at night, as had gotten used to in the last week. Diego had had a scuffle with a couple of thieves that were no problem dispatching, although due to a slight oversight he got a small scrape on his cheek. As soon as he entered, he heard some noises in the living room that made him alert. They looked like broken glass.

Clinging to one of his knives, Number Two sighed in relief when he realized it was just Five, staggering past the kitchen counter. He turned on the light, checking that there were crystals from a glass on the floor.

“Oh shit... Turn that off!” Five covered his face with his free arm. His words sounded a bit slurred, and it was evident that he was not keeping his balance well.

"...Are you drunk?"

“It’s not obvious?” The boy gestured, spreading his arms, then took a bottle of whiskey off the counter and poured it into a new glass.

Diego went to the other side of the bar, torn between the fun that the situation caused him and his sense of duty. “You should not. You know you're not old enough to... Wait, this bottle is almost full.” He raised his eyebrow at the little boy after examining the orange content.

“I know… Isn't it pathetic? This shitty body has no tolerance.” He took a sip from the glass, scolded. And to top it all, it tastes awful. At what age do kids start to like whiskey?” Five looked up at Diego, more visibly angry than would correspond with the banality of his words, waving his arm and almost hitting him against the counter. “How can a kid like black coffee but not whiskey? What's happening to me?!”

“Hey… Calm down, champion. You just had a bad day.” Diego tried to reassure him as he took the glass to prevent him from breaking it too. But then he noticed blood on the side of the boy's palm- “Five, you got a cut...”

"Oh…" The boy looked at his palm with sudden calm, now realizing the wound. He looked dizzier.

“Come on… Sit down” Diego came around and grabbed his arm, guiding him to the sofa and sitting him down. He left him there hurrying to the bathroom.

"You can't understand what it feels like…" Five wandered from the living room, staring blankly. "At first, it was just like being in the wrong place. As if my head were one thing, and my body another.”

Number Two sighed as he returned from the bathroom, with everything he needed to treat the wound.

“I thought that was bad. But it didn't matter, because I had a mission and I didn't stop until I accomplished it. And in the ‘60s the same thing happened. But now... now time passes and it is as if those two parts of me are becoming one.” He continued, looking up with glassy eyes to Diego while he took him by the injured hand. “...And it feels much worse.”

“You're right. I can’t understand it.” Answered the older one, crouched in front of the sofa, treating his wound. “What I do know is that you still have five brothers who care about you and need you.”

“Sure… And what about you?” He frowned defiantly when he noticed the scratch on Diego's cheek. “How long are you going to continue gambling with your life every night?!”

“We've already talked about that.” He sighed patiently, finishing the bandage. "I'm not going to stop doing what I think is right."

“For what? You can't help everyone, Diego. They don't even know who you are, they don't care about you! You will only get killed, and what then?!”

“Well, it could always be Klaus' new ghost pet.” He joked. But he quickly realized that it had been a bad idea, judging by the anger that flared in the boy's eyes.

"...Do you think I'm fucking joking?!" Five set his jaw and in his drunken state he was not able to suppress his tantrum, trying to hit Diego with both fists. “You selfish moron!!”

The attacked man tried to hold him, but Five immediately flinched when he hurt himself after hitting him with the side of his injured hand.

"Argh..." He looked down at his hand. The pain seemed to transform his anger into sadness. His eyes watered just as his voice cracked. "We need you too... I need you!"

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that.” Diego put his hands on the boy's shoulders, watching him start to whimper.

He pulled Five closer and hugged him. The boy responded by clinging to him as he burst into tears. “I promise you that nothing will happen to me. I'll be more careful…" He rubbed his back, with the boy's head resting on his shoulder, and sighed. "I love you, okay?”

His last words echoed bittersweet in Five's mind. He knew what Diego meant, but even though he was confused about his feelings, he also loved him in that brotherly way. He wasn't able to answer in words, but he reacted by hugging him tighter.

Feeling it, Diego smiled. 

They held each other for a couple minutes, until he felt his grip falter. “Five?” He moved a few inches back and realized that the boy had fallen asleep in his arms.

Holding him behind his shoulders, Diego put his other arm under his knees and lifted the boy up, leading him to his room. He carefully laid Five on the bed while watching him.

And then, perhaps in an outburst of big brother’s love, he leaned over the bed and kissed his temple, then quietly left the room.

It felt very strange for him to see Five like that. His brother had always been a proud, intelligent boy, but since his return he also made them feel like he was always one step ahead. His experiences and knowledge, the unusual way he acted despite his youthful appearance… he really was like a grown man trapped in the body of a teenager. But for some time Five had seemed increasingly vulnerable.

He returned to the living room to clean the broken glass, then stared at the whiskey bottle on the bar. He took Five’s glass and the bottle and returned dropping onto the sofa with them both, pouring the drink and taking a swig. Today he needed it.

The next morning, Diego left his room and everything seemed like any other day. Five was sitting reading the newspaper next to his coffee. “Good Morning. How did you sleep?”

“Good.” The boy replied, without adding anything else and without looking up from the newspaper, which he held with his hand, still bandaged.

Despite the fact that he acted as if nothing happened the night before, Diego noticed his prominent dark circles under the boy’s eyes. He walked over to the couch across the room and dropped into it, still staring at his brother. “Are you ok? Last night…”

“We don't have to talk about last night.” Five looked up this time, interrupting him, looking serious. “Really. It was nothing.”

Diego sighed and remained silent for a moment, in an effort to let the matter slide. “Okay ... But if you need me you know you can talk to me.”

Five looked up from the newspaper again, but this time he dod it with a softer, almost shy gesture. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and he finally nodded in agreement.

But Five was very aware of what happened that night. It was getting harder and harder to maintain his composure, especially in front of Diego. He was ashamed; for his weakness, for how he felt for him, and for not being able to define his own identity.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Five, are you there?" Asked Vanya.

They had met again at the girls' house a few days later. But the truth is that Five was hardly paying attention. Klaus, Diego and Allison were in the kitchen picking up the dishes while the others were around the livingroom tea table.

"Yes..." He looked up, with some reluctance.

“You haven't even tried your coffee.” His sister continued, touching his cup. “It got cold.”

“I don't feel like it.”

“Even I know that's weird.” Luther said, his head resting on his fist. "Besides, you still haven't insulted any of us today."

“Nothing's wrong with me.” Five snorted annoyed.

“It's not true...” Vanya stretched her arm to take her brother's hand, watching him with concern. “You've been acting strange for days.”

“I'm telling you I'm fine...” He answered, looking askance towards the kitchen, with anguish.

Klaus came back from the kitchen with a couple of glasses in hand and a bottle of liquor. “Look what I've found!” He said raising both arms with encouragement.

“I... I have to go.” And without saying more, Five got to his feet and jumped into the space outside the apartment.

“Wild herbs… It doesn't look very good. But it's no excuse to get so fussy.” Said Klaus looking at the bottle.

Vanya sighed frustrated after seeing her brother disappear, and at that moment Allison and Diego returned to the room as well.

“What happen?” Allison asked, walking past Klaus.

“Five has left” Vanya answered looking up at them. “He seems angry, or... I don't know. Something happens to him.”

“What? Why?” Diego approached them without understanding.

Allison stopped looking to the side and snorted, clenching her jaw. He looked at Diego and then at Vanya.

“He's behaving strangely.” Vanya continued. “It worries me.”

“It's Five. He's always doing weird things and saying we're all going to die…” Klaus crouched in front of the table pouring the liquor.

“You know something?” Vanya asked Diego.

“Well, I think he has a little identity crisis with his age and his body.” He replied. “A couple of days ago I found him drinking when I got home.”

“I guess it should be difficult...” Vanya sighed. "Take care of him, please. He shouldn't go through this alone.” She didn't knew how aware he had been of the boy lately, but Diego still nodded, looking to the side and wondering what else he could do.

“Give him time. He'll get over it…"Allison sighed, uncomfortable with the conversation. "It's not the first time that he disappears without giving explanations.”

“Do you know anything else?” Klaus said in a curious tone, looking at his sister, perhaps due to a certain intuition.

"No, not at all..." Allison answered, shrugging it off. Klaus didn’t believe her.


	4. Chapter 4

Diego couldn't get the worry out of his head.

When he returned to the apartment an hour later, he quickly checked the living room and kitchen. Everything was quiet and the lights were off. Night had already fallen, but it was still early. He noticed that Five's door was closed, so he approached it. “Five?”

He got no reply. “Five, are you there?”

Hearing nothing, Diego carefully opened the door. He could make out the boy lying on his side on the bed.

“I'm sleeping.” He answered without moving an inch.

“Fully clothed?" Diego noticed that he hadn't changed, and took a few steps into the bedroom. "Why have you left? Has something they said bothered you?”

“No… It's just… I didn't feel like being there.”

“Do not do that.” He sighed. "I don't like it when you leave without explanations. I was worried, and so was Vanya.”

But Five didn't answered. Diego walked to the bed and sat on the edge, behind him.

“I know you're not well, but I can't do anything if you don't talk to me.”

”I haven't asked you to do anything. I'm fine. I just want to rest.”

That upset the man, though he tried to remain patient. “I'm your brother, Five. I’m trying to help you.”

“You are not my brother.” He answered abruptly.

There was silence. A knot of anguish crept up Five's throat as he realized Diego might have misinterpreted his words. He really wanted to withdraw it. Desperate, it even crossed his mind to go back in time. But he was paralyzed.

“I know.” Diego got up and took a couple of steps towards the door, stopping for a moment. “But I love you anyway.” He resumed walking, but Five sat staring at him desperately.

“...Diego!”

He stopped again.

"I..." He hesitated watching him, holding back the tears and almost choking on the words in his throat. But he finally spoke. "I… love you too."

Diego sighed retracing his steps and sat back on the bed, extending his arms towards Five. He pulled him closer and hugged the boy.

Five was whimpering, his head on the man's lap. “I don't know what's wrong with me...”

“There's nothing wrong.” He comforted him, stroking his back. "You'll figure it out."

He continued crying until he seemed to calm down. And after a while, the young boy had fallen asleep. Just as it happened the other night when Diego took him to his bedroom and left. However, Diego thought, he wouldn't do the same tonight. Five needed him, and tonight there was no force in the world capable of separating them.

So, very carefully, he lay down on the bed and dragged the boy's head to his chest. And he continued stroking his back until he fell asleep too.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Five woke up, but it took him a while to settle, with the morning light illuminating part of the bedroom. He was too comfortable, still half hugging Diego's warm body.

He was silently surprised when he realized the situation.

The boy watched him still asleep, face up, wrapping his strong left arm around him. He had never seen Diego sleep so closely. Spellbound, Five rested his head on the man's chest without taking his eyes off him.

And within minutes, he got a little closer. And then a little more. And a little more, feeling his breath. He couldn't help it, but he didn't tried to hold back either. He simply let himself be carried away by the peace and warmth that he felt next to him.

And then, Five kissed Diego gently. He felt the roughness of his beard and the softness of his lips. The boy closed his eyes and they stayed in contact for just two seconds when he looked back at him.

Diego's eyes were half open, still sleepy.

“W... what...? What are you doing…?” He hesitated in confusion.

“I… I'm sorry. I don't...” Five was frozen in place, unable to move more than an inch away. But then Diego grabbed the boy’s jacket and lunged forward, kissing him in response with much more intensity. He threw himself on him at the same time that he brought his hand to the boy's cheek, who let himself be dragged, caught by surprise.

A few instants later Diego, now fully conscious, reacted by jumping away.

“No, no, nonono..." He repeated to himself quickly getting up, moving away from the bed and putting his hands to his head.

Five watched him and sighed, sitting on the edge before lowering his eyes. His heart was spinning a thousand times, but strangely he felt relieved, as if when kissing a huge weight had disappeared from his shoulders.

“What the…? What's going on?!” Diego walked from one side of the room to the other and looked at Five again, his hands still around his own head, in shock.

“I don’t know. I'm not sure what to say…”

“Did you just kissed me?!”

"Uhm… to be fair," the boy replied, glancing at him, "you kissed me too."

"I d-d-don't even..." Diego shook his head, stuttering. He was really starting to freak out. "I didn't knew what w-w-was... I don't understand anything, damn it!!"

“Look, it was just silly. We better forget it, calm down...”

“No, there is no way I... Argh!!” He growled in frustration. "I can't even think right now."

“I'm really sorry, Diego... I guess it’s better that I leave”. He answered, still staring at the ground, not daring to look directly at him.

"No..." Diego raised his forefinger in warning at the boy, fearing he would jump away. "Look... I need to get some air. You stay here and…" He waved his hand, rambling, trying to bring order to the situation "I'll be back later, okay?”

Five nodded from the site. Diego left the room still in a hurry and, since they had both been dressed since the night before, he only had to grab his jacket from the sofa and leave the apartment.

The boy remained for several minutes in the same position. He was grieving deep inside, but he managed to stay calm. He sighed with resignation, alone in the room.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Vanya approached the door puzzled when she heard the bell ringing several times in a row, insistently. As soon as she opened it, Diego entered the room quickly.

“...Diego! What's going on…?” The girl closed the door behind carefully as she watched him with concern, as he seemed visibly anxious.

The man had been wandering for almost all the morning, not knowing where to go and unable to clear his mind. “I have… I have an urgent query to ask you. Allison isn't there?”

“No… she left a while ago.”

“Maybe it's better that way...” He turned around, looking away from all corners of the room, restless.

“Calm down... Tell me what happens.” Vanya went to the kitchen and Diego followed a few steps.

"Well…" He took a breath, thinking about how to deal with the situation in a subtle way. "Have we come to any conclusions about what to do in a Luther/Allison situation?"

“Luther/Allison situation...? What are you talking about?” She frowned, not understanding him at all, as she reached for the pot to pour a few cups.

“You know... If you found out that one of us kissed another, for example... what would we do?”

"Diego..." She turned to him surprised. "Have you seen something?"

"Uhm..." He tilted his head to the sides trying to divert attention. "Let's say I've seen exactly that."

“But who…? Allison? She would have told me. And I know it wasn't me..."

"It's not a matter of who has..." He raised his palm trying to stop her reasoning.

"Besides," she continued thoughtfully, "Five is just a child, so that leave us with only...”

"Technically..." He stretched his index finger, clarifying. "...he's not a child. He has lived way more years than us, and now he is in his former body. So I don't know what he is, but he's surely not just a child..." His sister looked at him in shock.

“...Is it Five? But how…? Who was going to...?” Her eyes widened tying up the dots, staring at Diego.

“N-n-no... it's not what you are...”

“Oh God... Diego, what have you done...?"

“He kissed me!” He waved his arms to his sides, finally losing the nerves he had barely managed to contain.

“What!?”

“I don't know! We fell asleep and when I woke up...”

“But did he tell you something? Haven't you talked about it? Maybe he was just kidding or...” She desperately tried to find a reasonable explanation.

“No, is not that... You know how he's been acting lately.”

“Maybe... maybe he's just confused. What happened to him is not easy to bear.” Vanya lowered her voice tone as if trying to reassure herself and her brother.

Diego sighed and put a hand behind his head, scratching himself doubtfully. Then he continued speaking with some embarrassment, almost through his teeth. “There is also... a possibility… that I kissed him back.”

Vanya's eyes widened again and her voice rose. “..Diego!!!” She spread her arms, losing her composure this time.

“I know…!!” He continued, hysterical.

“But why?!”

The man quickly shook his lips together, not knowing what to answer. “I d-didn't even had time to think about it.”

“And what did you needed to think? My God, you call him brother and you look like twice his age!”

“You're right. Besides, I’ve never… you know, with another man.”

“Really, Diego?” Vanya shook her head, looking at him sarcastically. "Is that what worries you the most?"

“No, I know... I have enough with the rest." He sighed, dragging a hand over his head.”

Then they both heard the door open. They looked up and hurried to peek into the room. There Allison closed the door slowly behind her, dropping her keys into a bowl.

The woman glanced between their still stunned faces, and remained serious. “So you finally know…”

"Allison… were you aware of this?" Vanya took a few steps closer to her sister while Diego looked between the two in confusion.

She sighed and rubbed her temples, taking time to answer. “A few days ago Five was here. We had an... argument. Judging by his breath, it must have been the afternoon before you found him drunk.”

“What? Why? Diego asked frowning, still flustered.”

Allison looked down into her pocket and rummaged for something inside. Then she calmly walked over to Diego and handed it to him. It was a small crumpled paper. "Because of this."

Her brother looked at her strangely and took the paper, trying to unwrap it. It was just a small strip, but it contained something written. He finished stretching it out and read it, holding his breath.

_"I HEARD A RUMOR THAT YOU ARE NOT IN LOVE WITH DIEGO."_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I said no.” Allison replied roughly.

“Why!?” Inquired Five, annoyed.

The boy had come to her a few days before. They were in her kitchen, and he had handed her the same written note.

“I don't know what the hell this is supposed to mean.” Allison said indignantly, pointing to the note with her other hand. “But I can't do it.”

“Yes you can! You just have to read it aloud. That's all I'm asking you, two seconds.”

"It's not that easy, Five! Things don't work that way. You never know what can happen when you play with the lives of others.”

“I just need to forget, Allison. I just need that to go away. If you could ... if you could forget what makes you suffer the most, wouldn't you?”

She frowned, offended. "Do you think I'd want to forget about how I feel about Claire? About Raymond? About our Ben? I never would.” She replied with a trembling voice. "Even if I never see them again."

Five clenched his jaw in anger, but she continued speaking. “Listen. If this this is something without importance, you will forget about it anyways. But if it isn't… If somehow...” She said looking down at the note, and wiping a tear from her cheek with her other hand. “this… is deep down inside you... If I get rid of it, I could be destroying you. We don't know what effect it might have.”

Her brother breathed out in thought for a moment and looked at her again. “I'm willing to take the risk.”

“Well, I won’t.” Allison replied, looking at him defiantly and with watery eyes.

They stared at each other, without hesitation. But then Five spun around on a snort and, without further delay, jumped into the space outside the apartment.


End file.
